Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 93 Imperial Gold Medal (4K2)

The peddlers and porters all clasped their hands in greeting, saying, "Take care, Officer Li!"

Li Fuyi returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute: "Gentlemen, until we meet again."

He mounted his horse with a clean and swift motion.

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally lingering briefly on the master and servant pair. The pair didn't speak to him, but stood far behind, watching him and whispering something to each other.

The maidservant looked worried, as if trying to dissuade her, but the scholar and young lady's eyes were filled with a strange light, as if they had already made up their minds and wouldn't listen at all.

Li Fu ignored him and immediately gave the reins a flick: "Giddy up!"

The horse neighed, its hooves spurring, and headed north along the wet mountain path, its figure quickly disappearing around the bend in the morning mist-shrouded forest.

In front of the dilapidated temple, the crowd watched Li depart, filled with emotion.

Mrs. Zhao held her two children in her arms and gazed at them for a long time.

The caravan and the peddler also set off on their respective journeys.

"Wei Ying, let's chase after them."

"Miss, but—"

Wei Ying hesitated for a moment.

"Quick, my mind is made up, don't let him get too far!"

The scholar and his wife had no time to spare. They pulled Wei Ying to the horse-tethering spot behind the temple, quickly untied the reins, mounted their horses, and rode off in the direction Li Fu had gone.

Li Fu rode slowly, and after traveling only two or three miles, he heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats behind him.

He frowned slightly, pulled on the reins and looked back. He saw two riders chasing after him on the mountain road. They were the master and servant from the dilapidated temple.

The scholar and young lady in the lead waved repeatedly from horseback, their voices clear and crisp: "Hey! You up ahead—Officer Li, wait a minute!"

Li Fu did not stop, and his master and servant quickly came to his side and walked alongside him.

-

Without turning his head, he gazed at the winding mountain road ahead and said calmly.

"Miss, is there anything else?"

"Miss?" The scholar-lady was taken aback, subconsciously touching her face and the headscarf she wore. "How did you know I—"

Halfway through her sentence, the maid Wei Ying sighed softly and said in a low voice.

"Miss, I told you long ago that such a crude disguise cannot fool anyone with even a little experience in the martial arts world, let alone someone as skilled at solving cases as Officer Li."

"Hmph, if I can't hide it, then I can't hide it."

The young lady pouted, but she was quite nonchalant.

"Wearing a scholar's cap and a scholar's robe is more convenient than riding a horse in a silk skirt."

"Miss, you haven't answered my question yet."

"Officer Li, you must be Li Fu from Yanzhou, right?"

I heard from other people in the temple that you were a capable and good official, and seeing it with my own eyes, it is indeed true.

It would be such a pity if someone like you died at the hands of those despicable assassins, the Twelve Fierce Phases.

Therefore, the two of us have come specifically to protect you!

"Protect me?"

Li Fu was taken aback, almost thinking he had misheard.

He reined in his horse and turned to look carefully at the master and servant.

A young lady with lively eyes, despite trying to appear mature, couldn't hide her naivety and her novelty of venturing into the world as if it were a game.

The other maid was more composed, but her eyes still showed little of the hardships and experiences of the martial world.

Recalling the stunned and panicked look on their faces when Gu Changfeng led his men into the dilapidated temple to kill people, the words "protect him" sounded rather absurd.

Seeing his expression, the young lady guessed he didn't believe her, so she puffed out her chest and tried her best to put on a stern face.

"Hmph, don't underestimate me."

"We may be new to the martial arts world, but our skills are top-notch!"

Li Fu shook his head, no longer dwelling on the truth of the matter, and simply said...

"When you're out in the world, while skill level is important, experience, resourcefulness, and understanding of people's hearts are all indispensable."

Mr. Li appreciated the two young ladies' kindness.

However, I have urgent business to attend to and cannot accompany you; therefore, I must take my leave.

Having said that, he flicked the reins, intending to urge the horse to gallop faster.

"Hey, wait a minute!"

The scholar and the young lady grew anxious and spurred their horses forward, rushing to Li Fu's horse and reaching out to grab his reins.

"Wait a minute, we mean well."

If it weren't for the fact that you are a good official, we wouldn't care about you. There are probably not many good officials like you left in the court today, which makes you all the more precious.

Don't misunderstand.

We are not doing this for you, but for the court, for the country, and for the world.

Her actions were quite bold, even somewhat rude, as if she were used to everyone having to obey her wishes.

Judging from his expression, he was sincere and earnest. Although his thoughts on the country and the world seemed immature, it was hard to feel any ill will towards him.

Li Fu frowned slightly.

He did have urgent business to attend to: investigating Wang Chongyu and the bounty, and he was also being hunted by the Twelve Killers. The Dragon Shock Society might also send people to retaliate against him at any time.

Having these two by their side is like having two extra burdens to take care of, and it could also drag them into danger.

"I never expected that a young lady raised in seclusion would have such a heart for her country and the world," he praised, his tone still calm, "but there's really no need for that."

As he spoke, he flicked the reins lightly with his right index finger as if by accident.

A supple force traveled through the air, striking the young lady's wrist that was gripping the reins. He didn't use any force; he just needed her to feel the pain and let go.

However, just as the force was about to touch the back of the young lady's hand...

A gentle, subtle, and invisible internal force naturally arose from the young lady's wrist, silently dissolving the force that Li Fu had thrown out!

However, the young lady seemed startled by the strong wind that struck the back of her hand, and with a cry of surprise, she instinctively withdrew her hand.

"what?"

Li Fu slightly lifted his eyelids, genuinely feeling a hint of surprise.

He was all too familiar with this scene.

True Qi is activated to automatically protect the body.

His Nine Yang Divine Skill has such wonderful uses. I never expected that this seemingly ignorant young lady would also know similar martial arts.

The scholar and young lady were initially embarrassed by their startled reaction, but upon seeing the surprise in Li Fu's eyes, they immediately became smug and raised their chins.

"How about that? You've seen how powerful it is, haven't you?"

My Su Nu Xuan Gong has achieved some success. My body's true energy is spontaneously generated, and I can overcome hardness with softness and control movement with stillness. Like iron wrapped in cotton, I am not easily harmed by ordinary attacks!

Don't worry that I'll be a burden to you, a highly skilled constable!

This young lady seemed quite intelligent, and guessed part of what Li Fu was thinking.

The saying "softness can overcome hardness, and precision can control movement" is profound in its simple words, seemingly representing an extraordinary internal skill.

A slight thought stirred in Li Fu's heart.

That makes sense; how could a normal internal martial art have a self-protective mechanism?

"Miss!"

Wei Ying, who was standing next to her, quickly tugged at her sleeve and lowered her voice, "Why did you reveal all the details of your martial arts skills?!"

She secretly glanced at Li Fu and saw that he remained calm after hearing the words "Su Nu Xuan Gong" and seemed not to have heard of the illustrious origins of this divine skill. She breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But the young lady didn't seem to care and continued speaking to Li Fu.

"Don't worry about Wei Ying either. Her martial arts skills were personally taught by the master of Wujin Cang'an. She is proficient in five of the thirteen ultimate skills of Wujin Cang'an and is specifically there to protect my safety!"

Even some of the most renowned sect leaders in the martial arts world are no match for her.

"Endless Treasury Hermitage?"

This time, Li Fu's gaze truly fell on the maid, Wei Ying.

He had heard of the Wujinzang Temple.

This nunnery is named after the place of practice of Wujin Bizangni, the first female Zen master in Buddhism and a female disciple of Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.

It holds a transcendent position in Buddhist monasteries, especially among women practitioners, and boasts a long history. In the hearts of nuns worldwide, it is no less renowned than the White Horse Temple, the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism.

"That is a truly ancient and prestigious sect in the martial arts world, and it has always maintained a low profile and practiced in seclusion."

A disciple who has received the true teachings should be cultivating in seclusion in the nunnery; how could he be out here serving as a maid and guarding others?

Moreover, if Wei Ying truly received the true teachings of the Endless Treasury Nunnery, then the young lady who was guarded by a maid must have an even more extraordinary identity.

The Su Nu Xuan Gong mentioned earlier must also be extraordinary.

The master and servant duo exuded an air of mystery from head to toe.

"Really? That's amazing."

Li Fu's mind raced, but he still had no intention of getting entangled with them. He said something, then suddenly spurred his horse, which neighed loudly and accelerated forward like an arrow released from a bow.

The faint voices of the master and servant could be heard in the wind behind them.

"Miss, it seems that they don't need our protection at all, and they don't appreciate it either."

Let's stop chasing and travel elsewhere instead.

Wei Ying quickly tried to persuade her.

"No!"

The young lady, watching Li Fu's rapidly departing figure, bit her lip and said.

"I often hear my uncle lament that there are fewer and fewer good officials in the world nowadays. Our Great Zhao Dynasty has been established for less than a hundred years, but the court has accumulated deep-seated problems over time."

Ultimately, it comes down to the principle that scholar-officials should not be executed.

At most, officials who commit offenses are punished with caning and exile. How can this be tolerated?

No one feared the consequences of punishment, resulting in a court full of mediocre and treacherous officials.

It's rare to find a good official who is willing to stand up for the underdog and risk his life for ordinary people. He's in danger, and we can't let him get killed.

Moreover—my uncle has doted on me since I was a child, treating me like his own, yet I've never done anything for him.

Her words carried a hint of complexity.

"I remember my uncle saying that a very upright and honest official he once respected was assassinated in his home because he offended someone with his incorruptibility. It is said that the assassin was the snake-like one of the twelve 'fierce' signs."

This caused his uncle great distress and deep regret.

The imperial court has issued a warrant for its capture, but they don't even know whether the snake is tall or short, male or female. How can they possibly catch it?

The scholar and the young lady paused, and a hint of girlish eagerness reappeared on their faces.

"Besides, we, master and servant, are newcomers to the martial world. If we can join forces to eliminate the infamous Twelve Fiends, what a great reputation that would be!"

How impressive!

"Quick, chase after him! We can't let him get away!"

"Miss----"

Wei Ying knew her temper; once she became stubborn, there was no way to persuade her. So she could only sigh inwardly and urge her horse to catch up.

About half an hour later, a half-collapsed pavilion appeared by the roadside.

Li reined in his horse and stopped.

It wasn't that he was exhausted, but rather that the horse he was riding was sweating profusely and needed to rest and drink water.

He led the horse to the babbling stream beside the pavilion, then stepped into the pavilion, found a clean stone bench to sit on, and took out his personal provisions.

Two hard breads, a sachet of water, eaten and drunk in silence.

The sound of horses' hooves approached again from afar.

The mistress and servant arrived as well. The horses they rode were clearly extraordinary, exceptionally fine, and were only slightly sweating, far from being exhausted.

In fact, the master and servant could have easily overtaken Li Fu long ago, but they didn't. They simply followed him, watching as his horse grew tired and he had to stop.

The scholar and his wife slowly came to a stop, and the young lady nimbly jumped off the horse. Wei Ying took out a gilded lacquer box from her pouch.

Lifting the lid, you'll find four or five kinds of pastries neatly arranged inside: jade bean cake, rose shortbread, candied plum, and two crystal buns.

It's hard to imagine that this was dry rations eaten while traveling.

The pastries were exquisitely made, and their aroma wafted in the breeze.

She deliberately chose to sit on the stone bench diagonally opposite Li Fu, picked up a piece of bean cake, took a small bite, and deliberately let out a satisfied sigh.

"Hmm, this bean cake is fragrant and delicate, and melts in your mouth. It is indeed the work of the master chef of Yipinzhai in Kyoto."

"

He picked up another shortbread.

"These rose pastries are made with freshly picked roses from the village outside the city, glistening with dew in the morning. They're sweet but not cloying. Wei Ying, you should try some too."

Wei Ying smiled wryly and had no choice but to accept one.

As the scholar and his wife ate, they glanced at the dry, tasteless hard bread in Li Fu's hand, and gave a soft snort, as if to say how good their snacks were and how meager their dry rations were.

Li Fu, however, seemed oblivious, continuing to slowly munch on his bread and drink water, his expression indifferent, as if he were the only person in the pavilion.

Having been rejected for her previous kindness and now being ignored, the scholar and young lady puffed out their cheeks slightly, seemingly even angrier.

Seeing this, Wei Ying quickly pointed to the clear stream outside the pavilion, trying to divert her young mistress's attention.

"Miss, I've heard that the most famous place in Jingzhou is Mirror Lake."

Although it's not spring or summer now, the maple leaves along the lake are ablaze with color in autumn, the lake surface is as calm as a mirror, and fallen red leaves cover the lake, making it a world-renowned scenic spot.

"Why don't we change our route and take a look?"

The young lady was somewhat tempted, but when her gaze fell upon Li Fu, who seemed to ignore her, she snorted again: "Beautiful scenery can be seen anytime, there's no rush."

Wei Ying sighed inwardly, glancing at her young mistress and then at the tall, composed young man over there.

Miss, with your usual status, have you ever been so ignored?

The more this happened, the more the young lady's indomitable spirit was aroused.

After resting enough, Li Fu got up, took his horse, and prepared to set off again.

"Li Fu, wait a minute!"

The scholar and the young lady quickly called out to him.

Li Fu ignored the warning and mounted his horse.

"Officer Li, Li Fu, you are the head constable of the imperial court, right? I need your assistance in solving this case."

The young lady suddenly raised her voice, as if she had thought of a way to deal with Li Fu, and she seemed a little smug.

Li Fu paused, turned around, and looked at him with a barely perceptible smile in his eyes.

"Me? To assist you in the case?"

If he remembered correctly, he was the real head constable.

"Yes, it's you!"

The scholar-lady raised her chin and extended her hand towards Wei Ying.

"Wei Ying".

Helpless, Wei Ying had no choice but to take something out of her personal bag and hand it over with both hands.

"You recognize this, right?"

The scholar and the young lady took it and gave it a bright look to Li Fu.

It was a palm-sized, gleaming gold token with intricate and majestic cloud patterns embossed on the front, and four ancient and dignified characters in the center—"Imperial Decree."

"Imperial Gold Medal?"

How did you get this?

Li Fu's eyes narrowed.

As someone working in the public sector, it was impossible for him not to recognize him.

The phrase "御前" refers to the area in front of the emperor's seat, representing the emperor himself or the place where the Son of Heaven resides. "昭令" refers to official documents and orders.

The overall meaning is an imperial edict personally issued by the emperor.

Whenever a major case or important case occurred in a state, or when local officials were in a slump, the imperial court would dispatch the Embroidered-Robe Divine Constables to investigate and arrest people.

The chief constable in charge of matters would have such a gold token, representing an envoy personally authorized by the emperor, who had the right to inquire about all local affairs, mobilize officials, and wield immense power.

This scholar-lady couldn't possibly be the embroidered-cloth detective.

"Ahem, how is it?"

The scholar and the young lady raised their chins slightly, deliberately displaying an air of official authority that no one could intimidate.

"Now, I order you to stay and assist in the investigation."

"I want to verify the authenticity of this gold medal."

Li Fu spoke.